1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid applying member of an image forming substance removing apparatus, in particular, a liquid applying member for applying an unstabilizing liquid, which makes unstable the attaching state between an image forming substance and an image carrier, onto an image carrier in a reproducing apparatus for reproducing the image carrier, which removes the image forming substance from the image carrier having an image made of the image forming substance formed on the surface thereof constructed with fiber material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, from the viewpoint of effective utilization of natural resources, there have been proposed heretofore various sorts of reproducing methods of reproducing the image carrier by removing the image forming substance from the image carrier in order to reuse the image carrier and various sorts of apparatuses for accomplishing the above.
As to such technologies, for instance, refer to the published specifications of Japanese Laid-open Patent publication Nos. 1-10157/1989, 2-55195/1990, 4-4472/1992, 4-82983/1992, and 4-300395/1992.
In particular, in order to remove only the image forming substance without comparatively damaging the image carrier, the present applicant has already proposed a method of and an apparatus for holding on the image carrier at least one sort of water or water solution selected from the group consisting of water solution containing water, water solution containing surface active agent, water solution containing water-soluble polymer, and water solution containing surface active agent and water-soluble polymer as an unstabilizing liquid; heating the image forming substance on the image carrier so as to fuse or soften that substance; bringing a peeling-off member capable of demonstrating a sticking force larger than the sticking force between the image carrier and the image forming substance into contact with the image carrier; and peeling off and removing the image forming substance from the image carrier when the peeling-off member is separated from the image carrier. (For instance, refer to Japanese Patent Application No. 4-25591/1992 and Japanese Patent Application No. 5-239075/1993.)
Furthermore, although there exist some methods of employing a roller-shaped liquid applying member, dipping into the solution, and non-contact applying by use of the ink jet, etc., as a method of applying the unstabilizing liquid, the above-mentioned methods of employing a liquid applying member are profitable from the viewpoints of design margin, cost reduction, quality stabilizing, etc.
Hereupon, the amount of applying the unstabilizing liquid needed for reproducing the above-mentioned image carrier differs in accordance with the sort of the image carrier, the sort of the unstabilizing liquid, and the condition at the time of the peeling-off treatment; and further the amount varies in the wide range of 1%-50% of the image carrier's weight. For instance, since weight of general paper is about 5 g, the amount of applied unstabilizing liquid needed for reproducing the general (ordinary) paper of A4 size varies widely in the range of 0.05 g-2.5 g.
In such a way, since the amount of the applied unstabilizing liquid needed for the purpose varies in a wide range, there was a fear of impossibility of applying a needed amount of the unstabilizing liquid depending on the sort of the image carrier in the case of employing the above-mentioned roller-shaped liquid applying member.
In such a situation, conventionally, there was a proposal of making the circumferential velocity of the liquid applying member larger than the transporting speed of the image carrier, for instance, by raising the rotation speed of the liquid applying member, in order to increase the amount of applying of the liquid by use of the above roller-shaped liquid applying member. (For instance, refer to the contents of the above described published specification of the Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 7-92667/1995.)
On the other hand, there is a fear of causing a problem in that, when the rotation speed of the liquid applying member is raised up as mentioned before, the rear edge portion of the image carrier is rapidly transported and thereby the image carrier is broken and paper jamming occurs, and further the liquid applying amount becomes insufficient contrary to the initial aim.